


Home for the Holidays?

by ArgyleMN



Series: Bryce Lahela/Cassie Vanderfield - Canon Universe One Shots [5]
Category: Open Heart (Visual Novels)
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M, Light Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-04
Updated: 2020-06-04
Packaged: 2021-03-03 18:48:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24530317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArgyleMN/pseuds/ArgyleMN
Summary: An innocent question about schedules sheds some light of the nature of Cassie’s relationship with Bryce. Set around Chapter 11 of Open Heart book 1.
Relationships: Bryce Lahela/Main Character (Open Heart)
Series: Bryce Lahela/Cassie Vanderfield - Canon Universe One Shots [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1768597
Kudos: 9





	Home for the Holidays?

“Stop. You are making this up. There is _no way_ this happened to you.”

“I swear, Cassie. I must have been talking to him for 15 minutes. He kept insisting that amputations run in his family. He would not believe me when I told him it was far more likely the diabetes that led to the amputations ran in his family!”

“And you said that clinic can’t be fun.”

Bryce smirked and shook his head. “See, I’d rather my patients be asleep when I see them. That way I don’t have to keep a straight face if they say something so stupid.”

Cassie smiled, taking another bite of her salad. Bryce might hate clinic, but she couldn’t help but be glad that his mandatory clinic days on his vascular surgery rotation meant that they could grab lunch together in the cafeteria once a week. Or, at least they could for the past 4 weeks. Today was his last clinic day before he started his next block - trauma surgery. With the hours he’d be pulling, they were gonna be seeing a lot less of each other.

She was about to ask him if he wanted to do something that weekend when one of the other surgical interns - Cassie was pretty sure her name was Brittany - bounded over and grabbed Bryce by the shoulders.

“Lahela, you are the MAN!”

Bryce laughed a little, shrugging as he replied, “What can I say, it’s who I am.”

Brittany - or maybe her name was Becky - rolled her eyes as she clapped Bryce on his shoulder before walking off toward a table with several other surgical residents.

“I thought the other surgical residents were all still pissed at you.”

“My charm is irresistible,” he replied with a wink, not missing a beat. Cassie had to roll her eyes. She had set him up way too perfectly for that response.

“They seem to be resisting it _just_ fine all the way over there. Seriously, what did you do that made her so happy?”

“You jealous, Vanderfield?”

“Do I have reason to be?”

Bryce shook his head, “Nah, I told you I’m not seeing anyone else. I just volunteered to work Christmas for her.”

Cassie paused, fork hovering over container of salad, “Seriously? You got Christmas off and you gave it up? Why would you do that?”

“It’s no big deal, Cassie.”

“It’s a _huge_ deal! Everyone wants Christmas off.”

“Now you’re just exaggerating. Take all the Jewish and Muslim residents, for example.”

“Bryce, you know what I mean. Why would you volunteer to work those days?”

Cassie was struggling to comprehend Bryce here. The vast majority of residents put in for Christmas as their number one holiday request. Cassie herself was bummed, having had to call her parents a week ago to tell them she’d be home over New Years, not Christmas. If Bryce had won the holiday lottery, why was he throwing it away?

“They’re just a couple of days like any other. You are making this into a way bigger deal than it is.”

“Don’t you want to go home?”

He instantly tensed at her question, staring at his chicken sandwich like it was the most interesting thing on the planet. “No,” he replied several long moments later.

“Bryce, why don’t you-”

“I’m not gonna get into this whole thing with you right now, Cassie. I don’t really want to see anyone there, and the beauty of being home for the holidays or some sentimental crap like that is just not my life.”

“I’m sorry, I’m just try-”

“Just drop it, Cassie. I don’t want to waste time talking about home.”

She nodded, not really sure what to say at this point. Sure, Bryce had made some jokes about his bad relationship with his parents before, but she didn’t know their issues ran so deep that he wouldn’t want to see them over the holidays, that he would choose to work instead.

“Did I tell you that Ginde let me throw some stitches in the carotid yesterday?”

His tone, his whole demeanor had shifted. He was back to quippy, flirty Bryce in an instant. Cassie shook her head, smiling as Bryce enthusiastically dove into a story of his operating prowess, but inside she still was bothered. They may have agreed to not see anyone else, but it was clear that they were still a long way from an actual relationship. And the fact that he wouldn’t tell her anything about his family, his home? Well, even just as friends, it stung.


End file.
